"...and it sucks out all the jelly!"

Most of the science we do at home revolves around cooking/baking and bugs we catch and observe. (I throw in a few other fun experiments for good measure.) Spiders have always been a favorite. We have had a favorite story around our house for a few weeks. The story is how spiders eat bugs. From time to time, telling the story must be accompanied by pictures that I draw during or just before I tell the story. At any given moment the story will be requested so I must be prepared. It goes something like this...

Savannah, "Mom, I need the spider story."

Me, "Spiders catch bugs in their webs. The spider crawls over to the bug and bites it (bite sound effect). When the spider bites the bug it releases venom. Venom is poison. The venom makes it so the bug can't move. The venom turns the bug's guts and other insides into jelly. Other spiders wait just a little while then go back to the bug and suck out the jelly."

Last week we caught a spider on Savannah's comforter. We observed it. Savannah put it in her play kitchen microwave. She put it in her stroller so she could take it for a walk. She zipped it up in her purse and carried it all over. She even slept with it. The next day I found a bug that found its way into our home. I caught it in the same jar as the spider. Then I took it to Savannah so she could watch our little spider story come to life. At first, she was worried and asking all kinds of questions. Her questions led to our story and how everything living creature must eat to stay alive. Then she watch the spider paralyze the bug and suck it "jelly" guts out. She loved it! (She couldn't really tell when the guts were sucked out but when the bug was abandoned I figured it had happened.)

Wish I had a better picture - I am no photographer.

Here is Savannah's microwave full of other bugs we have caught recently. Here was have a spider, two beetles, and a worm (I know a worm is not classified as a bug but it was captured so lets not get technical).

P.S. The latest capture was today. I caught a wasp. It has been very popular!